Written by: Colin Whaley McMaster Medical School c2023, Hamilton Campus 1. Where and how long was your core? What specialty was it in? Many of my electives have been in community sites, and I have loved every single one! I am currently at The Brantford General Hospital in obstetrics and gynecology for 4 weeks. 2. How did you get to the core? Did you get any funding from the school (MacCare etc?) The elective's structure is optimized for Hamilton Campus students, as the 4-week rotation comprises six 24-hour shifts. I drove to my shifts, and there was plenty of parking available. I don't think it would be possible to travel to this site without access to a car. I was super nervous at first for the call associated with the shifts, but it ended up being a great way to see OB patients throughout the course of their labour! I also received travel funding through MacCare. 3. What were your accommodations like? There were call rooms that I used that were clean and good, but access to them needed to be arranged with the Grand Erie Six Nations Clinical Education Campus staff. 4. Describe a typical day at your core. In order to make my 8 AM shift time, I would do my best to get things ready the night before, including making my meals and figuring out what snacks to bring. I left Hamilton around 7 AM, aiming to get to the hospital by 7:30 or so. Between 7:30 and 8, I would complete COVID screening, get my call room keys and a set of scrubs, change, and organize myself before heading to the labour and delivery (L&D) ward. On weekdays, I was able to attend the Women's Health clinic. As a male, patients weren't always comfortable with me being in the room, but if they were, I would generally be responsible for taking histories and learning more about what they were hoping to get out of their appointments. The clinic would generally end around noon. Then after lunch we'd be on the L&D ward from 13:00 until we were done seeing most of the patients and attending to their labour. Sometimes we'd have some deliveries! From around 18:00 or so onwards, I would grab dinner, check-in at the L&D ward, and then be dismissed for the evening. I would leave my phone number on the staff board, and someone from the floor would call me when there was a delivery happening. There was more than one time when I got to the room and the fetus was crowning! Some nights were busier than others -- one night we had 2 deliveries, and other nights I had a restful sleep. You can ask your attending if there's a high chance you'll be called up. We would round starting at 6:30 or 7 until 8 or so, at which point I'd complete an on-demand evaluation in MedSIS with my attending and wrap it up for the shift! I would then change, head home, take a much-needed shower, then hit the hay! I would often sleep from 9 AM to 1 PM or so, and then carry on with the rest of my day. 5. What level of responsibility/exposure did you have as a medical student? I had a tonne of hand-on experience. I helped with 10+ births, including catching the babies, taking cord gasses, delivering placentas, checking how dilated patients were, doing obstetrical and gynecological consults in the emergency room, and taking histories for patients in the Women's Health clinic. I didn't independently follow any patients, but got to be present for the entire labour process for many patients! I also scrubbed in for C-sections. 6. What is your most memorable experience from this core? Being present for my first delivery. My attending grabbed my hands and put them on the baby's head as he was being delivered, and helped guide the baby out and placed him on his mom's chest. I wasn't expecting to be so hands on (literally!) so quickly, but I found that being comfortable stepping out of my comfort zone helped me make the most of my time on the ward. 10. What’s future advice you have for students doing a core here in the future? There's a reason that Brantford General has such a great reputation among MacMed clerks for OB - the attendings are fantastic, the opportunity for hands-on learning is unparalleled, especially because there are no residents, and the shift structure allows for a lot of downtime. There was also a lot of flexibility in terms of switching shifts with the other clerk if there's a need. Postpartum Suite. Credits: bchsysfoundation.org
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Background Credits: bchsysfoundation.org
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